Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe. John 6:61-64.

I loved this in You Are The Beloved by Henri Nouwen: “The great conversion in our life is to recognize and believe that the many unexpected events are not just disturbing interruptions in our projects, but the way in which God molds our hearts and prepares us for His return. Our great temptations are boredom and bitterness. When our good plans are interrupted by poor weather, our well-organized careers by illness or bad luck, our peace of mind by inner turmoil, our hope for peace by a new war, our desire for a stable government by a constant changing of the guards, and our desire or immortality by real death, we are tempted to give in to a paralyzing boredom or to strike back in destructive bitterness. But when we believe that patience can make our expectations grow, then fate can be converted into a vocation, wounds into a call for deeper understanding, and sadness into a birthplace of joy.”

And in our chapter, Matthew 20, Jesus, the Son, gives understanding of the Father’s love we could never understand on our own. He begins with a parable. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for His vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into His vineyard.” v. 1-2. The Father, Creator God, is the landowner of all creation. And workers are hired for the early morning, nine in the morning, at noon, about three in the afternoon, and at five in the afternoon. Each was afforded the opportunity to work and He will pay them whatever is right. For those listening, a denarius was equal to a day’s work. “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” v. 8-16. In our “economy” of thinking, this makes no sense. But we’re talking about what the kingdom of heaven is like. God’s love is greater than our “economy”. Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, He took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!” Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of Him. “What is it you want?” He asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in Your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from My cup, but to sit at My right or left is not for Me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by My Father.” v. 17-23. Only Jesus could drink the cup He and the Father prepared. Only Jesus could, as Creator God, give His life that would save all of us. The burden paid in the Kingdom of Heaven. James and John would give their lives as would each of the disciples and those martyred for the truth of the Kingdom of Heaven. Each in their own time in the unfolding of history. And of course, the disciples were indignant with the two brothers because they, too, wanted to be in places of honor afforded in the kingdoms of men. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” v. 25-28. The difference that is the Kingdom of Heaven. And even as Jesus was making His way to Jerusalem, to be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law, to be condemned to death and handed over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified…He and His disciples were stopped by two blind men shouting for Him. And He served. As Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed Him. v. 29-34. We hear that word a lot, rebuke. Always used by men. The “economy” of our broken world. The mother of James and John must have learned along with the disciples because she is listed with Mary, Jesus’ mother, as being at the foot of the cross. From the “economy” of this world that must have seemed like the very end of their hope for what the Messiah would do. But in the Kingdom of God, the Love of God was shown in stark contrast to the darkness of the hatred of men…mankind killed God…God saves us, His children dearly loved. We have so much to understand. Creator God is Love and Creator God is Life. And we are starved for understanding!